Colorless

Check out monorail.com, America's affordable investment app made for conservatives who want to keep their hard-earned money with companies that share their values. Download the Monorail app today. Join Monorail. Hello everybody and welcome. A sincere heart a heartfelt welcome to the Dennis Prager Show. If I could, I would embrace you all. Actually, I have embraced many of you. I'm a big hugger, unlike my colleague Hugh Hewitt, who only hugs women. I like hugging members of both sexes. Welcome to the show indeed. Taking a vacation for a moment from politics because there is a lot more to life, as you know, which is why I talk about everything here. This one, I, I have— let me preface it this way— I have theories on a lot of things. If I didn't, you wouldn't tune in. I mean, that, that's, I think, being honest, right?

Right.

On the following ubiquitous issue, I have no theory, only a question: why has it happened? It's not about politics, and it's not about religion. It's not about morality. It's not about any of these large subjects, but it's got to represent something. Why are nearly all cars today black, silver, or white? This is a first in my lifetime. What was the old phrase with, uh, in the very beginning of cars? I think with Henry Ford, you can have any color so long as it's black. That was Henry Ford. Yeah, we are almost— you can have any color as long as it's black, silver, or white. So here, mine's black for the first time in my life. Incidentally, I've never owned a black car. Uh, the, the living martyr has two cars. He's very wealthy, and they're both what, silver? Uh, Triple G. Yeah, he was dead broke when he left the White House. That's a good point. But, uh, that's, that's good. That was very good. We're keeping you again. We're renewing your contract this week. Uh, Triple G, what is your color, the color of your car? Silver, or even more exciting, gray. And, uh, I asked Tabar, our intern, uh, hers are black. It's— now I have owed in my life green, red, blue, brown. I'm sorry to say it didn't work out, uh, the brown. I, I don't know why I did that. I was in a crisis mode in my life. No, no, you never saw my brown car. It was before I ever knew you. Not only was it brown, it was an Oldsmobile. Okay, all right, you know, we all have to answer to our maker. Uh, so I've owned— I think I have owned every color. I— you can't count yellow and orange, all right? That's taxi cabs and, and for the blind. I'm sorry, you had an orange car? Your first car was orange? It's good I didn't meet you then. It just is. I would have thought you would have had to overcome an initial impression. Oh yes, I— my first car was a tan. They don't make tan cars anymore. They do, I think. Well, now they're not making anything except variations on silver. Oh, lime green with fake wood paneling. That was your first car. You should have met Triple G. You, Triple G, and the Living Motor should have gotten together for— on a freeway. Why is that? These things represent something in society. It's not just taste. And even taste needs an explanation. Why does taste change? What is your theory? On why this has happened. Never would have predicted it. 1-800-PRAGER, 776-877-243-7776. It's, it's absolutely a phenomenon. You go into a certain— I don't— I can't— is it true for all models, even the cheapest models? I think she is— it's good, runs through the, uh, from luxury down to, uh, Bargain Basement, 877-243-7776. What would be the reason for that? I, I have thought about it and I don't, I don't know. Is it, is it better for the maker? Is it like they save money by not having colors? Now I don't know, I don't know. Do people want it? I, I, it I think it's a first in my lifetime because when advertisers advertise cars, they would always show it in some color even. So they would show off a beautiful model of their car in some color. And nothing now. Worcester, Ohio. Josh. Hello, Josh of Worcester.

Yeah, hi, how are you?

Good, thanks.

Um, a couple of theories about the white ones. I can't talk for the grays and the blacks, but two things. First of all, um, you know, cop car— cops and the like that sit in their car a lot during the day, if you notice, they're always white because the air conditioning just has to work less to cool the car down in the winter. In the summer, you know, when the— no, no, I, I agree.

White is very, very practical. I agree in that regard. White is practical. But I don't think there are more white cars than black and silver.

Well, I mean, it depends. If you've been to everything, I'm sure you've been to Israel and other countries in the East, I would say like 80 to 90% of the cars are white.

Yeah, that's correct. Well, but you're right, but I'm asking about America where Americans have had a love affair with the car and that has included colors. So that's my question. All right, you're right about the heat, but you live in Wooster, Ohio. Can't believe that it's necessary except for a couple of months a year when— because remember, it's not even a heat issue, it's a sun issue as far as I understand it, because white reflects light and black absorbs light. So I understand, but I don't think Ohio has a surfeit of sunshine. There, we got a full line here, but I'm going to take your calls even if I don't know your name. So let's gamble. Line 2, where are you from? What's your name?

Uh, Folsom, California. Frank.

Hi, Frank of Folsom.

You're— the reasons you have the colors that we have today are because of the tints that require, um, the colorants. So you got greens, you got blues, and you got reds. Those are your 3 most expensive tints, uh, all primary colors. They need, uh, to be added to other colors to make other colors, so it makes it less expensive for them.

So, so even in a luxury model, even in an $80,000 car You think that the makers are saving money not going to colors?

Yeah, why not?

No, no, I'm not saying— no, no, I'm asking. I, I don't have a theory. I just, I just find it interesting, and I find the roads much less colorful. I like colored cars, but it's— I don't lose sleep over this issue, but I, I have found it odd that something has happened. And that's why I, I offered that possibility. Maybe it is just cheaper. You just have a ver— you know, variations, and they're all variations. Well, there's slight variations on white. I don't think there are variations on black, not certainly not with the same maker. A black car is a black car, whatever, whatever the maker is. Uh, so we have another guy who believes that, and that is Andy of Minneapolis. Hello, Andy. Dennis Prager.

Hello.

Hi.

Um, the, uh, mostly the reason is cost. The pigments are much cheaper. Black pigments and white pigments are cheap. And also, if you get into an accident and have to repaint it, it's much easier to match. Red is the most expensive color.

Is that right? Why is that?

I think it's just the pigments. I don't know if they're more expensive because they're more rare or harder to get them, you know, crisp and clear. But I've been working on cars for 20-some years now and, uh, Whenever you buy paint, if you buy black or white paint, it's always 15 to 20% cheaper than a—

Wow, that's fascinating. If that's the reason— I wonder if they charge the premium, would people pay? I don't know. I, I, I don't— as I say, I don't sleep over it, but I miss it. To me, a gorgeous color on a car, it's just— it adds a little bit to the QOL, as I call it, quality of life. There's just something happy. Colors are happy. I mean, my black car is gorgeous. I keep it washed. I've never owned a black car before. I used to always think, I admit this, my wife thinks it's a little silly. I always used to think that black, people chose black to make a statement. And I never liked making a statement. I'm very, it's like I never got initials on my clothing. I just, I'm not judging it. I'm just talking about my own nature. And so that might be, uh, that, that just is what it is. But I, I must say, when I, I owned my second car, actually my third car, my third car was a burgundy Peugeot. I am, to say that I own, I'm actually proud of it. My first two cars were Saabs. You know that now that I think of it, people should pay me not to buy their cars because so many went out of business. My first two were Saabs, then a Peugeot, then a Buick. Is Buick still made? Yeah. And then an Oldsmobile, which is not made. But it was a gorgeous burgundy Peugeot. Back in a moment. Yes, indeed. A couple of more moments here on this subject, then I— then we'll move on. But I, I am very curious what your theories are. Thus far I have gotten that it's more expensive to have a car with colors. It's a first in my lifetime. Virtually every new car is black, silver, or white. On the other hand, the, the good news is you can get 6 variations on silver. And don't you love the names they come out with? They always have these names: Shadow Silver, Midnight Black, as opposed to what, Daylight Black? I love that. There's Light Silver, Dark Silver, Silver with a Blue Tint. Here's another great question. I have a great— I'm serious, this is a great one. And that is, what color, including black, white, silver, but what color of any type do you get sick of quickest? Because we're all excited when we get the new car. It doesn't matter what color it is, right? Everybody's excited. No, no, no, it isn't. It's a new topic, but we're going to stick with this. I'm just— but it just is a topic that just occurred to me. It's a very interesting one. I found, in my experience, I found that I got tired fastest of silver. But then a lot of new silver— that was a long time ago. Silver today is a little— I think it's got more cachet— not cachet, but life to it than the old silvers did. You have two silvers. You're not tired of them, right? But were you tired? Come on, everybody gets a little tired of their color. Why did you— when you had your orange car, did you get tired of it? What, in how long? 3 days? That's— I would think so. Why did you get an orange car?

It was actually— I bought it from—

oh, you got it used? A used orange car? I don't blame you. Was it, uh, was it a chick magnet, that orange car? Or did they like run away? 'Cause it's sort of, I mean, if a woman knows you're gonna meet a guy and one guy has an orange car and one guy has a black car, who do you think they would innately trust? Okay, it's a rhetorical question. Let's go to more of your calls here. And Rebecca in St. Petersburg, Florida. Hello, Rebecca, Dennis Prager.

Hi Dennis, well, I just have to say I could care less about the make, model, color of a car. It's a mode of transportation.

I know, I think more women think that than men. Yeah, I, I, yeah.

Having said that, to conserve gas, we bought a Prius about a year ago, and in driving this Prius, I have been flipped off a number of times, and it's always by drivers who are either in a Ford, like F-150, F-250, something like that, or a Dodge Ram. But the pinnacle was when a Dodge Ram pulled up next to me. I had my twin 14-year-old boys in the car with me, and he laid on his horn. And when I looked over, he had two pipes coming out of his— out of the side of his truck, and it said Prius Repellent. So at that point, I ordered a bumper sticker, and my bumper sticker says Catholic Conservative American, and ever since I put that bumper sticker on my Prius, I have not had any foul gestures directed my way.

All right, well, let me just say that I find the story a little depressing.

It is my fellow conservatives.

Exactly, exactly. I, I can't believe it.

I wanted to get a gun rack and put—

I mean, I understand the contempt, but one shouldn't show it.

Exactly, I know. But now that I have the bumper sticker, I'm good to go. Welcome back.

Uh, yeah, but it's sad. You shouldn't have to do that. I— they— no, but seriously, they actually— they flipped you off?

Yes.

Yes.

Okay, that's— that's vile. No, that is vile. I have to say, these are lowlifes. I've never said my side doesn't have lowlifes. Uh, you want to play— why don't you play my, uh, pre— uh, pre-formulated thing about there are good people on both sides? All right, so people know how sincerely I believe this. There are many wonderful people on the left, many wonderful people on the right, many lousy people on the left, many lousy people on the right. Nothing that I have to say impugns the character of anybody on either side. Okay, so there you go. I'm well aware of that. Anybody who— first of all, in general, people giving the finger to other people, I think it's disgusting on the road. I mean, it's These are the things, this is what the QOL, the quality of life, it does, it diminishes it. All right, let's go to Greenville, South Carolina, and Alex of Greenville. Hi, Alex.

Hi, Dennis. I actually work in automotive manufacturing down here at the BMW plants. So got a couple of inside scoop suggestions as to what the primary reasons behind this is. And, uh, well, to start off, the bright colors that you would see on a car are going to be the ones that are going to, uh, be most noticeable as they fade. So a car that's bright green or bright red, after 5 years it's not going to look so good. And with the, the brand of that name, or the name brand still stamped on the car, it's going to make the company look That's fascinating.

That's a—

that's good.

That also is interesting.

Have you—

forgive me one second— have you been told that by BMW?

No, I, I haven't told that.

BMW, I mean, you look at the assembly line, you can see a multitude of very bright colors coming down, but they also use an extremely high-quality paint. And well, I, I can't say too much because automotive manufacturing is one of the most espionage.

All right, that's fine, but, but the point is it's more expensive.

Yeah, it is. Um, it's more expensive to make the colors last.

I understand, I understand.

Um, also, um, uh, the, the top coats of, well, any paint is semi-transparent. If you were to go to Home Depot and pick up paints to paint your wall, they're going to ask you what color you have, and then you would choose a different color primer to go underneath it. So the top colors are going to be most— mostly similar on cars, so they, they can use the same primer underneath. So it's still going to give a lot of the same tones. Also, going down the line, you know, I— it's a paint— one car, uh, blue and then one car red, that's a drastic change in color. They're going to have to clean out the paint lines that actually spray the cars. So there's a lot of things at play there as far as, uh, there certainly are.

I would not, I would not have thought of all of them. Thank you, that's a terrifically informative call. So the question then becomes, if, if indeed this is really driven by the dealers— see, it is a fascinating subject, huh? I'm sorry, you're right, the manufacturers. If this is driven by the manufacturers, are people happy with it? Are you folks happy to basically have a silver, white, and black choice? Would you choose a color, or you're quite satisfied, or you're a female who simply wants a mode of transportation? Back in a moment. I'm Dennis Prager. Are you a successful loan officer in the mortgage business looking to grow your business in 2023? Are you looking for a dynamic and supportive work environment with a team I trust? Are you looking for a wonderful culture with people who share your values? Andrew Del Rey and Todd Avakian of AndrewAndTodd.com are looking for experienced loan officers to join their team. They're looking for people who value their clients and are solution-based problem solvers. Maybe you've worked in an environment that treats loan officers and their clients like a number and you're ready for a real and meaningful change. They have offices in Southern California but service clients nationwide. So whether you're in California or out of state, I invite you to talk to them about joining their team. Call them at 888-888-1172. That's 888-888-1172. Or click the Join Our Team button at AndrewAndTodd.com. Hello everybody, welcome to or back to The Dennis Prager Show. One of Europe's leading thinkers is Leon de Winter. He has been on the show a number of times, and his latest piece I covered last week was in Politico. He's a Dutch novelist, major Dutch novelist and political commentator. Leon de Winter, welcome back to The Dennis Prager Show.

Thank you, Dennis.

Are you right now in Holland?

I am at this very moment in Holland. I've been spending most of my time in the last 2 weeks in Brussels, but at the moment I'm in Holland, yes.

Okay, so you've been in Brussels for a lot of the last 2 weeks, but you're now— just to give people an image so they'll know where you are, so you're Dutch and you're in Dutchland. It makes a great Great deal of sense.

Yes, correct.

By the way, just out of curiosity, is the Flemish of Belgium in any way significantly different from the Dutch of Holland?

Not significantly. We hear differences in the pronoun scheken, and slowly it is not converging, but there are more and more differences suddenly showing up. So, but basically in its essence, it is the same language. It is Dutch.

You're right, right. Okay, but they would say they— if you would ask a Belgian, he would say, I speak Flemish, not Dutch.

Yes. Oh, but it is Dutch, right?

Yes, I know, I know. One of the world's most beautiful languages, I might add. I'm kidding, I'm kidding.

Yes, if you get used to these strange sounds far away in the throat. Yes, it's a great language.

Yes. If there's something to flip— hey, wow, oh yeah, by the way, don't we have— hey, don't we— we have a recording of you, Leon.

Really?

Yes.

And clap from the molar. And clap from the molar. It's such a beautiful expression.

Yes, why does it hit the head with the windmill?

Yes. And clap from the molar.

Yes, we have kept it. You didn't know that. I just thought you'd get it.

I forgot.

That's right. All right, well, as my listeners know, uh, with the world, uh, situation as it is, I have two choices: to laugh or to cry, and I prefer to laugh.

So I'm with you.

Yeah, I know you are. I'm sure you are. This piece you wrote for Politico is, is so important. It is about the— this instinct in Europe, and certainly it is in America, but we'll talk about Europe for now this instinct among the European elites to blame the European country's treatment of its Muslim immigrants rather than the terrorists?

Yes, yes, cultural relativism. That's what it is about. Be— being afraid of, of cherishing your own values, your own culture, your own traditions, uh, doubting everything that has been passed on to us from the past. And because of that also, I mean, that's always the consequence, refusing to make up your mind, refusing to choose and to take a stand and refuse to sacrifice. That's one big complex of phenomena connected to to cultural relativism. And that's what we've seen in the last—

so, right. So let's flesh this out so that it is— it is, in other words, they are more interested in preserving the belief that no culture is greater than any— morally greater than any other— than they are even in assessing who is responsible for terror.

You're completely right. And of course, it is— we know in reality it's different. There are differences in traditions and in culture and in values. But by refusing to accept this idea, it's also a refusal of defending who you are and defending the amazing legacy of the Jewish-Christian tradition. It's all one group of developments. Don't forget, I think at this very moment in Holland, I think 80% of the population is completely secular.

What percent? I'm sorry, because you— 80.

80%. 80%. Completely right.

Exactly. That is what enabled the guys who wrote in Brussels, but they were from all over Europe, but they wrote the Charter of the European Union just a few years ago, and the word Christianity did not appear.

No, no.

But Christianity— Christianity formed Europe. It's not a matter of whether they believe or not. They're denying history.

Absolutely. That was one of my remarks at the time when they were discussing a European constitution. And one of my criticisms was, in what language are you going to write this constitution? And that's the crazy thing. There's no original language in which this constitution is written. It exists only in translation. Because there could have been only one language, or two maybe, Latin or Greek. Then you have an understanding what this continent is about. But of course it was totally unacceptable. So we have a constitution in 28 languages with tiny differences, but the constitution is also an expression of a culture, of a civilization, of a period in which the right words were found for a certain ambition. That's why still the American Constitution is bringing tears to my eyes. It is an amazing cultural and civilizational document. Try to read the European Constitution. It's about 500 pages. 500 pages of bureaucratic nonsense. It's terrible. It's dead language. And there's still no original. There's Dutch, there's Portuguese, but the original expression of what these European founding fathers wanted to establish doesn't exist. And that's in one image, you get the whole problem of what Europe fails and what it should have had— a real core, a soul. It's not there.

Wow, it's amazing you use that word because I, I've been to Europe so many times. I studied in Europe in college, and whenever I go back, I just feel the, the biggest word that I use to describe it in, in to Americans is soulless.

Yes, yes.

And that's—

it has to do with, of course, it's, it's a long development. It ended up in a welfare state, and these are— this, this is, this is the cultural price that we're paying for living in the world.

So let me ask you this. What, what do you think? Now, I'm— I generally don't psychoanalyze people, but I'm willing to allow it here. What And it may not be a psychoanalytic answer. It may be a philosophic answer. But what do you think is animating the people in Europe who say, oh, it's Belgium's fault for mistreating its immigrants. It's not really the fault of the terrorists. Is it this belief in multiculturalism as deep as a Muslim believes in Islam? Is it something else? What is it?

Yeah, of course, I wish I had a clear answer, but at the same time you feel, and it's in between the lines always, it's in between the words, you feel there's something suicidal in it.

Oh, interesting.

There is civilization heading for the cliff. There's something apocalyptic in it. And it's very hard, really very hard to put a finger on it and say, yes, there is it. But behaving like this while the facts are clear, the trends are there, the developments are there, we all see it, and at the same time, although you see it, you don't want to see it. What is going on there? What is it? Maybe still an echo of the shame of the 20th century, two disastrous world wars, the continent where the Shoah, where the Holocaust happened. Is there this deep— and that's what I felt. I mean, at the same time, I admire her to a certain degree with Angela Merkel, but with her as well, it seems like she wants to basically end with this, this Germany. It, it must change. Maybe that's the ultimate consequence of, of the Shoah, that this, this continent, and at least it's a part that is absolutely fascinating.

It's an absolute— there may be a desire of Europe elite at least to kill itself. I hadn't thought about that. I know they're killing it, but I didn't know that they actually may welcome that. I'm speaking to Leon de Winter, one of Europe's great thinkers. We'll be back in a moment. 1-800-PRAGER-776. One of the major thinkers in Europe, Leon de Winter, Dutch political writer and novelist, is on. He's in Holland right now, and we're talking about Europe. His article that was in Politico last week is up at DennisPrager.com. You should read it and send it on to people. And it is essentially— but you have to read it, I'm doing a brief synopsis here— it is essentially about Europe's reaction, certainly its elites, is to be angrier. For example, in Brussels, to be angrier at the Belgians for the ghetto area, so-called ghetto area, where it's predominantly Muslim and a higher unemployment rate. So they're angrier at Belgium than they are at the terrorists, that ultimately it's Europe's fault that they're being attacked. Just as, by the way, in the United States there were voices, what did America do to create the conditions that made 9/11? We have that in the United States too. It's, it's It's still dominant in Europe, and here it's still, uh, there's still a fight for the soul of America. We're losing, but at least if there's a fight in Europe, it's been lost. Did you write anything in Dutch analogous to what you have in English in Politico?

Sure, sure.

What was the reaction?

Usually, of course, my readers are, are happy there's, uh, that I'm writing this this type of columns and I get a lot of reactions usually here in Holland and but still it doesn't change the situation. I'm just reflecting on it. I'm just reacting to it. And you're talking about this so-called ghetto, this area called Molenbeek in Brussels. It's not a bad area. When you look at it, I mean, you will be surprised. You will think, hey, that's picturesque. It's nice, it's old Europe with nice, nice, well-kept alleys. And why would people be unhappy? They get free education. When they're unemployed, they get wonderful unemployment money payments. So what the hell is going on? What did we do to them? Of course, that was the question. What did we do to these young men that they start behaving in such a way?

Yes, and as you point out, they are, they are rich compared to what they would be back in Morocco.

Oh, absolutely. I've been in those areas in Morocco. Believe me, that's poverty. It is incomparable to, to, to, to the areas in Belgium or, or in Holland or also even in, in, in France. Uh, so something else is going on. It doesn't have to do with what we did to these people, to these migrants, because what did we do to them? We accepted them, we gave them housing, education, medical care. Should we suffer from that? Is that a bad thing? No, of course not. But still there is unhappiness. Still there is anger, but it doesn't have— but it's not connected.

It's not because they're mistreated.

What we did to them?

Yes, they're treated well, in fact. Exactly. So I, I am curious, you mentioned Angela Merkel and of course her call to bring in 800,000, a million refugees from Syria and, and surrounding areas. I wrote an article against it immediately And I think I was right then, and I still think that that is correct. But the bigger question is, why did she do it? My theory— and you totally are free, as you well know, you know me, you know, to say you disagree. I just want to make that clear. But my— I just want you to react to it. My theory was that the primary animating impulse was to to say to the world, look, we Germans are not the same as we were. We are now leading in humanitarian concern.

Yes, yes, I—

that's part of it, of course. She also, she also said it in several talk shows on German TV, uh, that, that, uh, the world think in a positive way about Germany, as if that is her main task, which is of course ridiculous. That's not what it is. That's not her concern, basically. Her main thing is to keep Germany safe and prosperous.

That should be her most important task. So, all right, so if you don't think it's the primary—

Well, I wrote about it. I called it the Mother Teresa complex.

Go on.

She's a person without children. There's no offspring. Her father was a religion, was a pastor. She became also more religious since the death of her father. I mean, I know I'm now sounding like a shrink, but whatever.

I invited that. Go ahead.

It's, it's, it's so, it's, it is something also like inviting the children of the world, come to me. It has, in her case, although we are talking here about secular Europe, a religious component without the rituals of a church. There is something spiritual to it. And at the same time, it is by inviting so many people from other cultures It is also a way of accepting the suffering. She has to do penance for what her people did to so many other people in Europe in the previous century. This is— this is— you can only understand because there's nothing will explain, no political argument will explain her behavior. We have to go into psychology and try to explain it. Also because this was a one-person operation. It was her thing. She shocked her ministers. She shocked her party and the coalition when she started to behave like this. So these are elements of who she became. I met her, I think it was about 10, 12 years ago. She was tough. She was the only guy in the room usually. Was a tough politician. Things changed after the death of her father. And I wrote about this extensively, and I was criticized because of this, but also I got support also from the side of psychologists and in Germany as well. That's the only explanation I can come up with. There is no political reason to do this. Only personal, a personal need, right? And did we lose him?

Yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah, all right, we'll get him back. Okay.

Yeah.

Oh, we're back. Okay, we lost you for a moment. You hear me?

I, I see. I hear you clearly.

Okay, Leon De Winter's in Holland, folks. He got a, under, got a little understanding here. I will be back in a moment. I'm going to take, uh, if you have questions to lean on De Winter. I think this is so important. Is Europe— Europe is committing suicide. That's not debatable. The question is why. MyPillow is excited to bring you their biggest bedding sale ever, and just in time for Christmas. For a limited time, get the Giza Dream bed sheets for as low as $29.98. A set of pillowcases for only $9.98, and rejuvenate your bed with a MyPillow mattress topper for as low as $99.99. They also have blankets in a variety of sizes, colors, and styles. They even have blankets for your pets. Get duvets, quilts, down comforters, body pillows, bolster pillows, and so much more, all with the biggest discounts of the year happening now. They're also extending their money-back guarantee for Christmas until March 1st, 2023. Making them the perfect gifts for your friends, your family, and everyone you know. So go to mypillow.com and use the promo code Prager, or call 800-761-6302. You'll get huge discounts on all MyPillow bedding products, including the Giza Dream bedsheets, for as low as $29.98. And get all your shopping done now while quantities last. Okay, everybody, Dennis Prager here. Pleasure to be with you. I want to say, I want to compliment myself. I don't do that much. It's about driving. There was an accident on, on a street road that takes me into this the edifice from which I broadcast, and the car was left in the middle of the road. And I have an SUV, and I had, I believe, 1 inch between the parked car and the car that was in the middle of the road. And I thought, you know, there's a real good chance you're going to scratch your car badly, but you got to take risks. Okay, end of story. Welcome to the show. I have a question that I would like to pose. I was against the legalization of marijuana, and the more I read about its effects, especially if taken regularly and especially on a young brain, so much so, so, so, so, so, so, so much worse than tobacco. I mean, infinitely worse than cigars or a pipe, but even worse, totally worse than cigarettes. Cigarettes will kill you one-third of the time. One-third of the people who smoke cigarettes regularly will die prematurely. But it doesn't do anything bad to the young person's brain. Marijuana does. It's an interesting question. Would it bother a parent more if their kid smoked, or if they smoked a joint regularly, or cigarette regularly, let alone a cigar, which wouldn't bother me at all? If the worst thing my kids did was smoke a cigar, I would feel that I was a very blessed parent. So I was against it because Anything that becomes legal is more engaged in, I assume. I assume. So I would like you to call and tell me if there has been more in the last few years, if there has been more marijuana usage in your family, among your friends, or for you. 1-800-DENNIS-PRAGER, 776-877-243-7776. I will add that I have the same ambivalence. I have ambivalence on the issue of legalization. I want to get criminals out of it. So it's not like capital punishment where I I, so to speak, don't understand the other side. I don't understand people who think no matter how much torture and murder a human being engaged in, they deserve to live. So that's a gap of understanding. I totally get the arguments for legalization, not only of marijuana but of drugs generally. My only argument against— my only argument is it will increase usage greatly. So what's the— is the trade-off worth it? That's the question. So how has it affected you or people in your life? Maybe it hasn't, in which case I was wrong, and I'm totally at peace saying I was wrong in opposing its legalization. By the way, I feel the same way about prostitution. Given the amount of purportedly of white slavery of women who were, and for that matter boys who were forced into this, into the sex trade as it were, I want to get these pimps out of it as well. I want people to be registered and to be monitored for legality and for their age. So, but on the other hand, I feel that if prostitution were legalized, there would be a lot more prostitution. So I'm torn on that one. These are questions that don't have— I wish they did, I wish they had absolutely clear answers, but some obviously just don't. So let me hear from you. What has happened in your case? And let's, let's go to Will in San Antonio, Texas. Hi, Will.

Hi, Dennis. This is a subject I thought about a lot in my life. I used to live in Southern California. I'm a convicted drug dealer, so I am no Puritan here. I've led a good life. I've been married now for 25 years, kids in college or graduated from college, but, but I've, you know, I've been on both sides of this, okay? And, um, I really think that, you know, people that are smoking pot, a lot of pot, they don't pay attention. And the last thing that we have in this country is people paying too much attention.

I'm sorry, they don't pay attention to what?

Lots of things, they're just unengaged.

Oh, I see, I see. Oh, I'm sorry. Okay, so people who smoke pot, they're tuned out.

They're tuned out. And that's the last thing we need in this country is more people tuned out that aren't paying attention to what's going on. And I honestly think that some politicians— I mean, we're $21 trillion in debt. They're robbing us blind. They would love for people not to pay attention, and what better way than to get everybody stoned? And I also don't think it's good that a government should profit from getting their citizens stoned.

Right. Well, the argument— that was the argument against lotteries. Government shouldn't profit from encouraging people to gamble, and the vast majority of people who buy lottery tickets are poor.

So it's a huge tax on the poor.

Yes. All right, listen, thank you. Thank you very much. I should add, I think this is rather relevant, that one of the reasons for my opposition to legalizing marijuana is that I hate it. I just want to be on record. I hate that people tune out, don't pay attention, in the phrase of the former drug dealer who just called. I saw it when I was at college. I saw what the effect that it had. People need to be honest. They say, well, what's the difference between that and a martini? People are kidding. Would you rather the pilot of your next flight had a martini or a joint right before taking off? I'll take— and I don't drink either. And by the way, I don't drink. My not drinking has nothing to do with morality or anything like that. Nothing. I just don't like alcohol, period. I don't like the taste. I don't like the effect. I wish I did. It looks like it's very pleasurable, but I don't get pleasure from it. So I don't have an axe to grind on the alcohol issue. My axe to grind is let's tell the truth. I don't want a pilot who's tuned out. I don't want a pilot who's drunk either, but nobody gets drunk, to the best of my knowledge, from one martini. But one joint— and today it's very powerful stuff, I'm told. It's not like what was being smoked when I was a kid. All right, let's go to Sandy in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Hi, Sandy.

Hi, Dennis, pleasure to talk to you.

Thank you.

So actually, this very subject came up, uh, with a friend last night. Uh, recently, uh, a teen son of mine has been caught experimenting, and I feel, given that I'm from the state of New Jersey and all the talk is about how it's going to become legalized, that the message that we're sending to our youth is quite confused. And I wonder if it hasn't changed, uh, what's going on in my very household. And he lives in a very conservative household with conservative parents who did not take part in this and don't have much, uh, tolerance for it. And, um, now I find myself in the throes of it. As a matter of fact, a friend said me last night. Well, let's see, would you rather that they were partaking in the use of tobacco, vaping tobacco products, or—

the answer is yes—

vaping the marijuana? Well, for me it's a bit complicated. I watched my mom die over the course of about 10 years and eventually—

right, no, it makes perfect sense that your ambivalence. I, I'll comment off the Obviously, when we come back, 1-800-PRAGER-776. Yes, indeed, everybody, Dennis Prager here. I want to remind you of an excellent organization called AMAC, Association of Mature American Citizens. I know it's been asked here. At the station, do you have to be mature to join? My argument is that you become more mature if you do join. So that's one of the benefits that they do not list in their ad copy. It's a terrific organization. There are two organizations basically for people 50 and over, AARP and AMAC, and the, uh, And these are polar opposites. AARP is on the left and AMAC is on the right. So if you're on the left, AARP is your place. If you're not on the left, AARP should not be your place. AMAC should be. Go to pragerforamac.com, find out all the information. AMAC, pragerforamac.com, or call 855-624-0163. 855-624-0163. The problem is every day I have a new jingle. It's not going to work. It's not a jingle then. That is such a good point. You can't have a one-day jingle. A jingle has, has endurance. It's a very good point. Pragerforamac.com. Dennis Prager here. The question on the table is, how has marijuana if legalized in your state affected you or your family or your friends. And in any event, like the last call from New Jersey, they're thinking of legalizing it and her son is starting to take it. They're a conservative family. It almost doesn't matter. It's profoundly tempting. And then the question arose about cigarettes or marijuana. There, look, with my kids, I absolutely made it clear that between the two, I would prefer that they smoke cigarettes. It wasn't even a question. It doesn't tamper with your growing brain. It doesn't affect your outlook on life. It doesn't affect your ability to think, to read, to work. Marijuana does. Cigarettes do not. Are they dangerous? Yes, they're dangerous. So what? I, I would sooner bet on being able— first of all, you can now give a substitute cigarette. It's called a vape. America, unlike Europe, is going a little crazy as usual. There's hysteria over vape. Oh, kids, kids will use it and they get addicted to nicotine, to which I've Nobody's ever explained to me what's wrong with that. Why is that bad? Now you could say you're against all addictions, that's fine, but I, I, maybe, maybe I'm just ignorant. I'd like to know what is so bad about being addicted to— I am not addicted to nicotine for the record. I don't smoke cigarettes, and when you smoke cigars, it's not for the nicotine, it's for tobacco taste. The fact that cigarettes were lumped with cigars is a part of the Dishonesty in all crusades in this country. It is just as people believe that if you're doing good, you can lie. And the entire anti-cigarette industry lied about tobacco, tobacco use, as if there is anything comparable between cigars and cigarettes. One is inhaled, one is not. One, one, the whole purpose of the cigarette issue, tobacco was secondary. Nicotine is primary. In the case of cigars, nicotine is a non-issue because you don't inhale. The whole thing is taste. I find cigars yummy. They're like dessert for me. Other people can't stand them. Fine. I can't stand whiskey. It's a matter of personal taste. I have no— you don't judge personal taste. But if my kid were— if there was a debate between cigarettes and marijuana, it's not even a question to me. I don't want them tampering with their brain. Don in Camarillo, California. Dennis Prager, hi.

Hi, Dennis. I am a liberated former slave of marijuana of better than 20 years. I have a younger son whom I've most recently convinced of its ill effects, and he is now liberated because he thought at one time it was his, his advocate rather than his enemy, and I've convinced him otherwise, and now he's free of it. I have an oldest sibling of 73 who has tried it, who would have never tried it before had it not been destigmatized by society. I have a 70-year-old brother who smokes it regularly, and I have a 62, I believe, or 63-year-old sister who also is a regular user, mainly because she can't really drink anymore because of the ill effects on her body.

And how does it affect your older siblings?

Um, I would say probably more detached from reality. Um, both of them are— my older brother is, is a staunch leftist. My sister's extremely liberal. You can't really reason with them. Um, they, they will not.

Why would they? If I were to ask them, what effect has your recent conversion to marijuana use had on you, what would they answer?

They would probably give you a, a positive reference for it, as my son did while he was on the other side.

What would they say?

It just convinced me of the positive effects, right?

And what were they? What were they? Relaxation?

Well, relaxation. They could better— actually, they would say to me they were convinced that they could better concentrate on certain things, more animated by certain things, and somehow, which I never got the effect of myself, they convinced themselves they were somehow better in certain events. And I never got that effect. I don't know if it was because I was more real with how I was, but I did it more of an addiction rather than It was, I guess maybe at that time I would say it enhanced life.

Okay, I hear you. All right, I have actually a caller who says he smokes daily, it doesn't affect him at all. I'm going to definitely talk to him and we will continue the discussion here. You know, it's happening in state after state, the legalization. What is— what do we know is up? We know that driving under the influence of marijuana is now a real issue. We know car accidents are up. And I don't want to— because I can't stand marijuana, I'd never want to exaggerate its ill effects. But if it didn't have ill effects, I wouldn't be so opposed to it. I saw what it did with my friends. It didn't make them bad, it didn't make them commit burglaries or anything, but I saw the effects. Back in a moment. All right everybody, Dennis Prager here. Welcome back, or welcome to the show. The effects of marijuana on youth you or your family or friends, given how many states are now legalizing it? And of course there's increased use, so the advocates of legalization say, so what? And that's the question. Is it a so what? We know that it is impaired driving, uh, in a similar way to driving under the influence of alcohol. And a commensurate rise in traffic accidents. But is it in sufficient numbers to be wary of it? I don't like it because I don't like people tuning out. I've seen the effects of a Scotch on the rocks, and I've seen the effects of a joint. They are not comparable. I can't speak to it on me because I've had neither. I mean, I neither. I'm sure I've drunk— the amount of alcohol I have drunk in my life would not make the average person drunk. That's how little. I just don't like it. All right, let's go to Columbus, Ohio. I promised that I would take this call. Hi, John. Thank you for calling.

How you doing, Dennis?

Good, thanks.

It's a pleasure to talk to you. You are the wise uncle I never had, and I have 3 uncles. They're just not very wise.

All right, I love being the wise uncle. That's great.

That's right. I, I smoke daily and have for about 15 years, and I've not noticed an adverse effect on me personally. Um, I don't miss work because of it. I've had a job, same job, for 20 years. Uh, my memory is great. It— I haven't seen any adverse effects at all, but it does relax me and it You know, kind of puts me in a better mood sometimes.

Are you married?

And that being said— I'm sorry, go ahead.

No, go on. That being said, what were you going to say?

That being said, I'm with you and against legalization.

That's fascinating. Given your use of it, why are you against legalization?

For the same reasons you are. I have teenagers that don't know I smoke marijuana and I don't want them to think it's okay because at their age it's not okay. So that's why I'm against it. I don't want to give that message.

Okay, so you, you believe as I do— it's not— I don't think it's a belief. You acknowledge as I do that it has ill effects on a growing brain.

Yes, absolutely.

When did you begin? What age?

Uh, I'm 42 now, about 15 years ago.

Right, so 27. I see.

Yeah.

And does your wife know you smoke?

Yeah.

Does she?

No.

Would you care if she— would you care if she started?

No.

Okay. So for you, in your view, it is not good for kids, but it is benign for an adult?

Correct.

I hear you. But you are against legalization because of the kids issue?

I am, I am.

How much do you— how long do you smoke?

Um, I mean, I'll smoke at least once a day, maybe a joint a day.

And how long does it take?

Oh, I don't know. It depends if I put it out and stop for a few minutes. It varies.

While you are doing it, what are you doing?

I'm hanging out at home, listening to music, watching TV, whatever, listening to talk radio sometimes, right?

And do you believe there is a quantity that would be— would have an ill effect on you?

No, I don't think so. So if you smoke it, to be honest with you—

I'm sorry, say it again.

It may be a tolerance issue similar to alcohol.

Uh-huh, right. So you, you don't think you could OD at any amount?

No, it's impossible to OD on marijuana.

Really? So if—

really, you, you would really— zero overdose deaths.

If, if your pilot were having a joint during the flight, would you, would you be okay?

Well, if it was his first joint he's ever smoked, no, I wouldn't be okay with that. But if he smoked for a long time and was okay, then You know, I'd rather him be sober, but you know, I would say probably rather high than drunk.

I agree with that too, but that's not the alternative. Hi everybody, I'm Dennis Prager. The effects of marijuana on you or your family or friends, that's the question here in light of all the states that have moved on to legalize pot. I found the argument obviously not persuasive but effective. I honor the argument that you get criminals out of the business, which is the argument, of course, for making all drugs legal. But it doesn't, doesn't work that way. You will still have criminal elements. They will invent new drugs. They will make it cheaper than the government drugstore, literally drugstore, down the street. So I don't think it would work in that regard. I think it puts people out of business in the marijuana world. I missed a question to the last caller in Ohio who smokes a joint every day, doesn't let his children know because he doesn't want them to do it. And I would, I would like to know at what age of his children, would he tell them? I can't believe he's going to keep it a secret forever. So I missed, I missed that, uh, question, missed asking that question. Uh, Zach in Orange County, California. Hi Zach, thank you for calling.

Hey Dennis, how are you?

I'm well, thank you.

I'm a long-time listener. I've actually never called you before, but always wanted to.

Welcome. Well, welcome.

Thank you. Um, yeah, I'm actually the, um, I'm actually a manager at a marijuana dispensary in, um, Orange County, California. I've actually been working in the industry for the past, uh, 5 years now, so I have a good understanding of a lot of the different types of people people that come in and smoke and, um, purchase it on a daily—

Are you there? Did I lose you? Did you— What happened?

I'm sorry, what was that?

I lost you. Uh, were you smoking?

Yes. Can you hear me now?

Yeah.

Okay. Um, yeah, I'm actually— I'm the manager at a dispensary in Orange County. I've been working in the in the marijuana industry for the past, uh, about 5 years now. So I've— I have a good understanding, right?

I heard that part.

Okay, okay.

So go on.

Um, yeah, I mean, I've— I've met a bunch of different types of people that come in and, uh, pick up weed every single day, from old people in their— in their 80s to, you know, people my age in their 20s. To moms, construction workers, fathers, just a bunch of different types of people. And I called in because I agree with you in some respects when it comes to smoking pot with younger kids. I can definitely admit that it does make you lazy. It does make— I can definitely say it could hinder you about what you want to do during the day. A lot of the times that people smoke marijuana, they'll do it, you know, throughout the day, as opposed to when people usually drink, they just drink, you know, at night at the club or at night at the bar. But when it comes to smoking, a lot of the times people will, you know, smoke 2, 3, 4, 5 times throughout the day and just be high all day long. And it definitely does affect you. In that way that, that people say it makes you lazy. I can definitely vouch for that.

Well, I— listen, Zach, I appreciate it in light of, light of the fact that you make a living in the industry, correct?

Yes, I do.

So you're being— all right, well, listen, I appreciate your honesty. I really do. Thank you for calling. If something is made legal, it will be done more. Is there any possible exception? There's no exception. That's what people have to ask. It's a cost-benefit. Everything is a cost-benefit issue. In fact, one of the great divisions or divides between left and right is the right asks, or I don't mean every single conservative, but the right-wing view, the conservative view, is to always ask, what is the cost? Whereas the left-wing view is always, what is the benefit? They say it's global warming. What is the cost? The left like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She mocks the idea that people ask, what is the cost to lower the temperature increase? But it's not a mockable question. You can bankrupt civilization doing something. What is the cost of legalized marijuana? Not the monetary cost. The cost to society. What is the cost of so-called Medicare for All? Trillions of dollars. Quality care. The more I know about the VA, the more I'm against the government running anything in medicine. It could be a last resort, but that's all it should ever be. So, but the left says, what's the benefit of Medicare for All? What is the benefit of spending trillions of dollars on reshaping economies for global warming's sake? I never thought, I'd really never put it that way. This is a real interesting divide. What is the benefit versus what is the cost? Now you should ask both sides. Both. You shouldn't only ask what is the cost, but that's the more important question usually. I'm Dennis Prager. We continue. Hey everybody, Dennis Prager here. Got so many interesting calls, it's painful. Yes indeed. Question is, marijuana's legalization or not, even if it's not legal yet in your state, how is it affected, if in any way, you or those you know? We had one person call in for whom it is a non-issue, though he doesn't let his teenage kids know he does it every day. That's an interesting thing here. Pat, La Habra, California. Hi.

Good morning, Dennis.

Hi.

Um, hey, um, that caller that doesn't want to tell his kids that he smokes, I, I can tell you, if he goes out backyard, smokes a bowl, and comes back in the house, he's going to smell like pot, and it's going to spread around through about a 30-foot radius, and I know that for a fact. So them kids are not stupid. I'm sure at their age, being teenagers, they They have smelled it, they've seen it, and they know his papa smokes pot. So I don't know who he's fooling. But anyways, to make the long story short with me, um, you know, I started smoking pot when I was like 12, 13 years old and, and quit at age 33. And I can tell you the damage it's done to me. Um, one, it— some of your callers said it makes you, uh, lazy. Um, it absolutely makes you lethargic. And a head full of tomorrows and the efforts. Everything is tomorrow. You don't grow at all. You're still a child at 33, at least I was, getting nowhere in life, doing nothing but just getting high from the time you get up in the morning to the time you go to bed. And the thing that I noticed that it has affected me most of all is my short-term memory. It's completely gone. For example, my wife will call me on the phone and say, babe, go to the store and get me milk, eggs, and salad. Now this phone call might have happened within 15 to 20 minutes of me getting in the store on my way home. I get to the store, I'm going in there, and I get the eggs and I get the salad, and already I forgot what the third thing was that I just told you.

All right, let me just say this. Thank you, Si. I agree with you. I look, I have great antipathy to pot, toward pot. However, I think the story might be more that you're a male than a former pot smoker. Just, just want to offer that possibility. Jan, Gern, Philip, Sandy, Josh, Brian, and Brent, my true apologies both to me and to everybody else because you have important things to say. I hope this resolved some ambivalence, but only God knows. Male-Female Hour coming up. Dennis Prager here. Thanks for listening to the Daily Dennis Prager Podcast. To hear the entire 3 hours of my radio show commercial-free every single day, Become a member of Pragertopia. You'll also get access to 15 years' worth of archives, as well as the Daily Show Prep. Subscribe at pragertopia.com.